Hi-- I am in the process of making a mannequin for a going-away dress from 1879-80. And I have bumped into something I've never seen before. Any suggestions/ideas would be appreciated!
The gown's floor-length skirt has a shorter, integral, bustled layer. Just beneath the lower drape of the bustle, sewn into the lining and exposed if you lift the bustle drape, are a set of buttons, to which the skirt's separate train can be attached. It's a lovely solution to train/no train needs! BUT. The train has a piece of trim coming off of it which seems to be intended to go around the front of the skirt, which if true would rather get in the way of the helpful functionality of the removable train. It's a band of fabric pleats, nicely finished on both gathered and splayed edges. Its angle coming off of the train is definitely a continuation of the line it has on the train (in other words, it doesn't look like it goes up the skirt but rather keeps going at hem level, and it's one-sided so it definitely doesn't loop back on itself onto the train either). The trim is a closed loop sewn into the train, beginning and ending off of the train. With the train in place and the trim brought to the front of the skirt, the loop matches the circumference of the skirt (and looks right). It sure SEEMS to be intended to go around the front hem of the dress. But there are no pin holes, no stitch holes, no thread remnants, no indication of how it might have been attached, either on th! e trim or on the skirt. The fabric is silk taffeta, so it would show such evidence. And it is known that this dress was worn (even who wore it.) The train had definitely been used, the band with the buttonholes was shredded from dealing with the weight and the skirt itself had damage at the back waistline from the weight as well. And if this trim loop WERE meant to go around the front of the skirt, it would fall right where you'd trip over it/tear it if it weren't well applied, as the line seems to demand being attached directly above the brush braid. The inside of the trim does seem a bit dirtier than on the train, where it has an additional layer of fabric beneath it. But no holes showing it was ever attached to anything! And why would you do something requiring tedious pinning/sewing when the rest of the train was an easy on/off solution? Any ideas? I'm baffled. Astrida _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list [email protected] http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
